Tales of the OtherwordsZiarah | Indonesia | 2016 | 120' | SUBS. FR-EN

Madam Sri is on the search for the grave of her husband who disappeared during the Indonesian National Revolution. Along the way, her grandson looks for her through various conversations with other villagers he encounters. Stories and accounts of the displaced bleed into one another, offering differing pieces of the same past on which the very land they are traversing was built on.

In Ziarah, director BW Purba Negara demystifies the role of the “freedom fighters” in Indonesian history, portraying them as cowards, tyrants and cheaters. Oral memoirs play an important role here, reflective of how the nation interprets history differently from the authorities after the New Order. Poetic and aided by stunning views of the Yogyakarta landscape, Ziarah connects the past and the present seamlessly to address the unspoken hurt of the survivors.